


We're in the Real World Now (Not Junior Varsity)

by heistsociety



Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Slow Burn, i can however assure u that i will not be adding more cheating outside of whats already in canon, i mean SUCH a slow burn, i will find a way to add angst to this just you wait, noora and jonas meet first, strong female friendships are very important to me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:28:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24450574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heistsociety/pseuds/heistsociety
Summary: It's not until after Noora (with the help of Linn) has tucked Eskild into bed and left a glass of water on his nightstand that she realizes she should've gotten Jonas' contact information: a number, a last name, anything that could help her track him down. An ally would've been so helpful to get her through her first year at Nissen, and Jonas seemed like an interesting guy.But alas, it seemed fate was not on her side. At least, not yet.ORNoora finds a compatible friend early on in Jonas and, side-by-side (sort of), they navigate teenagerdom.
Relationships: Background, Eva Kviig Mohn/Vilde Lien Hellerud, Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen, Noora Amalie Sætre/Jonas Noah Vasquez, Yousef Acar/Sana Bakkoush
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	1. One.

**Author's Note:**

> do ppl even read skam fanfiction anymore?! i guess im about to find out. lowkey have rlly been getting into noora and jonas and cannot get them out of my head, so here u go. these are what my endgames for skam wouldve preferably been. thank u for reading this if u do !!!!!

The summer in Oslo is a breath of fresh air compared to the heat of Madrid. Noora supposes that's one point for Norway, although it doesn't help to bolster her confidence at all. She hasn't been in the same country as her parents for over a year, hasn't had a real conversation with them for much longer, and it feels bizarre to be back within driving distance of them. But as much soul-searching as Noora managed to do under the intense sun of Spain, her return was inevitable. Norway, with or without her parents, is still her home.

So here Noora is, almost 2000 miles away from the most introspective year of her life, a dozen empty cardboard boxes stacked in the corner of her new white room, tackling on a terrifying new adventure in the city. As she steps back to admire her handiwork, faintly aware of her heart thumping in her chest, Eskild pops his head in the doorway with a mischievous grin. Of all the roommates Noora could've ended up with, she's thankful that it ended up being Eskild. For all his nosiness and noise, there is no one else who could've made her feel more welcome to the Kollektiv or to Oslo. 

"Are you done being boring and unpacking yet?" He asks, eyeing the boxes. "I'm _dying_ to start showing you all the fun places in Oslo."

"That depends," says Noora, smiling. "on your definition of fun."

It turns out that Eskild's definition of fun, unsurprisingly, is partying. Noora tries to protest, but Eskild says something about how Linn _never_ goes out with him and how this'll be a great way to meet new people, and she finds herself rather ceremonially being forced into her off-shoulder white top and a pair of jeans and being shepherded out of the Kollektiv with such fanfare that Linn even peeks out of her room to see what's going on. Noora extends Eskild's invitation to Linn as they leave, but Linn turns it down firmly, which does not bode well for Noora.

It's 8pm when they're finally out the door, but there's still sunlight on the streets of Oslo. Eskild explains that the party they're attending is being hosted by a university student back for the summer and says vaguely that there might be some high schoolers in attendance. 

"I met him at a bar. I think it was the one near the Kollektiv. Amazing drinks, by the way, remind me to bring you there sometime-" Eskild is saying as they round the corner of an inconspicuous apartment complex. "Ah, here we are! Third floor, I think-" 

As Eskild steps forward to ring in their arrival, Noora takes the opportunity to look around the complex. It's a cute little brownstone, neighboring what looks like a skate park in the near distance. Nearby, there's clear evidence that a party is happening: a couple solo cups tossed haphazardly into the grass, a girl in a short dress puking into the bushes as her friend holds her hair back, and faint music is emanating from the floor that Eskild pointed out. While Noora is still taking all this in, wondering if this is how she really wants to spend one of her first nights in Oslo, the doors to the complex open with a click and Eskild grabs Noora's wrist to drag her inside. As they near the party, the music grows louder, some American synth-pop band vibrating through the walls. Noora silently wonders how the party hasn't gotten shut down yet.

Inside the apartment, the music isn't as unbearably loud as Noora had expected, but she can still feel the floor shaking under her feet. The apartment is big enough that it's not too crowded, but Noora still has to push past bodies to keep up as Eskild weaves through the crowd, a man on a mission. 

"Come on," he says, near-yelling so that Noora can hear him. "I want to introduce you to Oskar!" 

"Who's Oskar?" Noora yells back, but Eskild has turned away again.

They finally come to a stop in the kitchen, where two identical blonde men are smoking out of an open window turn to face them. Beside them lays a stack of plastic cups and two half-empty bottles of vodka. 

"Eskild," the one on the right says warmly. "Glad you could make it." 

The one on the right says nothing, but gives Noora an appreciative glance that chills her to her bones.

"Oskar! I want you to meet Noora, my new roommate. Noora, this is Oskar, the host."

"It's nice to meet you," says Noora, pointedly _not_ looking at who she supposes is Oskar's brother, whose gaze has now slipped from her face to her chest.

"You as well," says Oskar. "And this is Oliver, my twin brother."

"How do you do, Noora?" asks Oliver. His voice is deep, deeper than Oskar's, and it sounds like he's trying to be seductive. "Can I get you something to drink?"

Noora pushes down a grimace. "I'm sixteen," she says, her voice a bit curt. The effect is immediate. Oliver looks away, pale, and flicks his cigarette on the ash tray.

"Ah," he says awkwardly. "You look quite a bit older."

Noora is rather unimpressed by his non-apology, and by now, a sheet of tension has fallen over the kitchen.

"Right," says Eskild, giving Oliver a cross look. "Let's go dance, Noora." 

Appreciatively, Noora lets Eskild lead her away. Under his breath, he asks, "Are you sure you don't want anything to drink? I'm going to need something myself, after _that_ encounter. Who knew Oskar's brother was such a ginormous dick?" 

"I don't drink," Noora replies, to which Eskild looks faintly surprised, but to Noora's relief, doesn't push the issue any further.

Once Eskild manages to obtain a beer, he and Noora spend a while dancing wildly and occasionally stopping to say hello to some of Eskild's acquaintances. It's surprisingly fun, at least until around 10, when everyone beside Noora has gotten significantly drunker, the room temperature has risen about ten degrees, and Noora's lost sight of Eskild. When, after ten minutes of searching, Noora still hasn't found him and she's starting to feel beads of sweat on her forehead, she decides that it might be time for her to get some fresh air. Both she and Eskild had left the house with full batteries on their phones - if he needs her, he can call. 

She ducks out of the party, feeling instantly better as the cool night air hits her face. She considers sitting on the steps for a while to regain her sensibility, since the heat's made her head feel fuzzy, but upon noticing that there's a couple clinging onto each other's mouths a few paces away from the steps, Noora decides that she'd rather take a walk, instead.

After firing off a text to Eskild ( _taking a walk, call me when you're ready to leave_ ), Noora sets off to explore Oslo, walking in the opposite direction that she and Eskild came, a path which takes her directly toward the skate park. Oslo isn't quiet this time of night, it really never is, but there's a stillness in the air that comes from misty streetlights and a lack of wind. Noora kind of loves it. It's nothing like the humidity of Madrid or the suffocating silence of Mjøndalen, where Noora grew up. It's a calm front, barely concealing the energetic underbelly of Oslo's nightlife.

As Noora nears the skate park, she notices that there's someone already there, a figure taking the ramps on a skateboard. The skate park is public property, so she forges ahead anyway, reaching the skate park just as the figure slides to the top of the ramp for a break. Now, Noora can see that the figure is a teenage boy, a prototype skater, down to the lopsided beanie on his curly brown hair and the impressive set of eyebrows taking over the top half of his face. Noora's not sure yet, whether he's interesting or completely generic. He raises one of these eyebrows at her as she comes to a stop in front of him.

"Hey," says Noora, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "Nice skateboard." 

The boy glances at his skateboard, then back up at Noora, then grins. "Thanks," he replies. "You... don't have a skateboard."

"I don't skate," says Noora.

"Why're you here so late at night, then, if not to skate?"

"Escaping from sweaty bodies," she replies, not offering up any more information. She wants to know what he's going to do with that.

He doesn't disappoint. "Ah," he says, nodding sagely. "Wednesday night sacrificial orgy? I've been there."

Noora bites on her lip to keep from laughing, hoping that she's not smudging her signature red lipstick. "A party, actually, but your thing sounds way more fun." Now smiling, she holds out her hand. "I'm Noora."

"Jonas," the boy replies, propping up his skateboard with one hand so that he can shake Noora's with the other, before looking at her bizarrely, as though he's trying to figure her out. "We haven't gone to school together, have we?"

"I doubt it," says Noora, barreling ahead before she can determine whether or not it's a bad idea to be sharing personal information with a stranger. It's just nice to be having a conversation with someone who looks about her age. "I just moved here, but I am starting Nissen this year."

"No way," Jonas says, his eyes wide. "So am I! What a coincidence."

This was a relief to hear. Maybe Noora wouldn't be starting another new school completely lost. "Seriously? What are the chances, huh?"

"No kidding. Hey, listen-" but whatever Jonas was going to say gets cut off when Noora's phone starts to ring. It's Eskild.

"Sorry, this is my roommate. He's still at the party." 

When Noora picks up, Eskild slurs in her ear, "N _ooooo_ ra! Where are you? This party is getting-" he hiccups. "-b _oooo_ ring!"

"Is he okay?" Jonas asks, looking a bit concerned.

Noora nods. "Yeah, just drunk. But I should go and get him home. I'll, uh, see you at Nissen?"

"Who are you talking to? Are you coming?" Eskild demands, but Noora ignores him. Instead, she watches Jonas salute her.

"See you at Nissen," he says, heading back for the ramps as Noora walks back toward the party.

"No one," she tells Eskild. "I'll be there in five."

It's not until after Noora (with the help of Linn) has tucked Eskild into bed and left a glass of water on his nightstand that she realizes she should've gotten Jonas' contact information: a number, a last name, anything that could help her track him down. An ally would've been so helpful to get her through her first year at Nissen, and Jonas seemed like an interesting guy.

But alas, it seemed fate was not on her side. At least, not yet.


	2. Two.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noora's fall break doesn't go quite as planned.

By the time Noora starts school in late August, she hasn't managed to meet anyone else remotely close to her age group, nor have her efforts to find Jonas on social media been at all fruitful. Her only consolation is that everyone else is sort-of new too, so she manages to get friendly with a few kids in some of her classes within the first few days of school. 

The problem is, Noora isn't making any _friends_. It's not a problem she usually has, but everyone at Nissen seems to know each other already, making it difficult for Noora to get her bearings, not to mention the fact that she hasn't seen Jonas at all. She's starting to wonder if he was a heat-induced hallucination.

There is one girl that Noora's been considering trying to befriend - the redhead in her Spanish class, Eva. Every time that Noora sees her, she's alone, and yet she looks like she'd have so many interesting things to say. Noora can't figure out why she doesn't have any friends, nor can she figure out a way to introduce herself. 

So, she sits in class, and she talks to her handful of acquaintances, and she hangs out with Eskild and Linn, and she wonders when she's going to get the chance to be a teenager again. 

Her opportunity comes when she's invited to a party by an acquaintance she doesn't think much of. She's hesitant to go, but Eskild encourages her to the point that he's practically shoving her out the door with the warning that if she's home before midnight, she's on his shit list. So, Noora goes. When she arrives, the party's already in full swing, and most people have gotten through at least two or three bottles of beer. She pushes through the crowd toward the drink table, searching for anyone she recognizes. Her acquaintance, a girl named Andrea, had assured her that she would be attendance, but Noora can't seem to spot her through the crowd.

Instead of trying to find anyone, which would be pretty much futile considering the dark lighting and massive amount of people dancing, Noora decides to head straight for the bar, ordering a water to sip on while she scopes out some potential friends. She's just gotten her water when she overhears a conversation taking place beside her.

"Ingrid," a girl is saying. "I miss you. Come on, say something." 

From the corner of her eye, Noora can see a familiar mane of red hair and, across from her, an unimpressed girl in a yellow top, presumably Ingrid. Noora knows she can be a bit judgmental sometimes, a bit righteous, but she doesn't think anyone would argue with her if she said that Ingrid looked like a stereotypical teen drama villain, right down to the cold glare on her face. But hey, Noora's been wrong about people before. She doesn't mind it, usually.

"I would've lost the eyeliner if I were you. You look like a slut."

Right, so Noora is _not_ wrong about this one. When Ingrid gets pulled away, Noora thinks it might be her chance to introduce herself, maybe offer the other girl some comfort. She's not sure what the hell happened between them to make Ingrid so seemingly angry, but in Noora's mind, there's not really any good excuse to call another girl a slut. Hopefully, the girl is who Noora thinks it is.

"She seemed cool," says Noora, smiling a bit as the other girl turns around. Her eyeliner _is_ a bit heavy, but that doesn't really mean anything in the grand scheme of things, and lo-and-behold, underneath the eyeliner is a familiar face. Noora holds her hand out to shake. "I think we have Spanish together. Noora."

"Eva," the other girl says, taking her hand. She's not really making eye contact at this point, looking rather downcast about the whole Ingrid situation. 

"Girls who call other girls sluts have a 90% higher risk of getting chlamydia," Noora offers, figuring that if taking an odd approach to conversation worked for Jonas, it might work for Eva, too, since they seem like a similar breed of interesting. 

Noora thinks she'll take it for what it is, a joke, but Eva looks rather astonished. "Seriously?" she asks, in such a believing, innocent way that Noora can't help but smile.

"No. But it would be cool if it was true." 

Eva looks sufficiently cheered up at this point, but she's giving Noora a quizzical look, so Noora thinks it might be time for her to make her exit. The music, she thinks, is starting to get to her, and she's not sure how Eva will take it if she keeps spouting odd sentiments. So, Noora takes her water and turns around, heading away from the bar and back onto the dance floor.

Nothing else interesting happens. Noora arrives home before 11, much to the chagrin of Eskild.

Noora had planned to spend fall break lounging around with Eskild and Linn, but to her surprise, her parents rang her up on Saturday asking her to spend it back in Mjøndalen with them. She hasn't seen them in person since she ran off to Madrid, and she's surprised that they want her to come back at all, even if it's just for a week. They've been very clear about the fact that Noora is nothing but a burden on their lives.

But they're her parents. Noora can't say no. She packs a suitcase and takes the train down to Mjøndalen. It's a 45 minute ride, and she spends the majority of it finishing up the Spanish homework they were assigned for break. If she keeps busy, that means she doesn't have to think about why her parents want her at home and how the hell she's supposed to act around them, considering how okay they were with her jetting off to Madrid alone last year. Around halfway through the trip, her stomach starts grumbling, but she's too nervous to order any food. She figures she can eat when she gets to her parents' house - if she tries now, she might very well throw it all back up. Instead of ordering food, she takes a five minute break to watch the night pass in the railway window, Oslo just a small blur of lights in the distance. She wonders if there's anything quite so lonely as travelling alone, completely disconnected from anything she might call home, only a few silent passengers and the stars to keep her company.

She doesn't dwell on it too long.

Noora's expecting her parents to pick her up from the train station. It would be the parental thing to do, she thinks, especially considering they were the ones who asked her to come visit, and she's the one who payed for her own train ticket. But when the train drops Noora off at the station and rolls away, there's no one around except a disgruntled security guard. She thinks, first, that they're just late. Propping her suitcase up beside her, she takes a seat on the little red bench outside the station and waits. When ten minutes go by, and then another ten, Noora thinks perhaps that they've forgotten they asked her to come at all. At one point, the security guard steps out to ask her if there's someone he can help her contact, but at that point, Noora has resigned herself to the fact that her parents probably weren't planning to show up in the first place.

It's not so much a startling realization as something Noora should've already known would happen. She'll have to find her own way around, like she always does.

Well, it's a nice night, and Noora's parents only live about a fifteen minute walk from the train station, so without much fanfare, she picks up her suitcase and starts in the direction of her childhood home.

The lights are still on when she finally arrives. The house looks exactly the same, familiar, but not in a comforting way. Mjøndalen is every bit as small and cold as she remembers, and her parents' house is no different. The small white panels, the tiny windows, completely impersonal and monochromatic as to blend in with the rest of the town. Already, there's a pit of dread forming in Noora's stomach, but it's not like she can back down now.

So she does what she always does, falsifies her bravery. Tosses her hair back, juts out her chin, and knocks on the front door. 

It's about two minutes before someone finally opens the door and Noora's confronted with the face of her mother, her smooth features reflecting back the indifference of her home. And, in true Emilie Sætre fashion, she has the absolute gall to look confused at the appearance of her daughter. "Noora?" she says, frowning. "What are you doing here?"

"You asked me to come visit, remember?" says Noora, trying not to grit her teeth.

Emilie's expression clears then, a polite smile replacing the wrinkle in her brow. "Ah, right. Come on in, Noora." As Noora wheels her suitcase into the house, Emilie calls up the stairs, "Jakob! Noora's here!"

"What? Noora's here?" God, Jakob sounds as confused as Emilie was. Noora's always known that her parents were forgetful when it came to matters that involved her, but it's been a while since she's been fully confronted with just _how_ forgetful they conveniently are. 

"Yes, well, we invited her, remember?" Emilie calls back, before turning to Noora. "You'll have to sleep on the couch, dear, I'm afraid your room's been converted into an office space."

"Right," says Noora, regretting her decision to come already.

"And your father and I have clients this week, so you'll have to entertain yourself during the day."

"Of course." Is it too late to catch a train back to Oslo?

At this point, there's the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and Noora's father appears at the railing. "Noora, wow! It really is you!" His eyes then land on Noora's phone, and he grimaces. "Oh, I must remind you, your mother and I are living off-the-grid. No wifi, and we really would prefer if you didn't use your phone too much. They cause cancer, you know." 

For two educated doctors, Noora's parents really are comically anti-technology. She'd known about the lack of wifi, of course, and had come prepared for the spotty cell service. She knows the spots where calls will actually go through - she did live here for 15 years, after all. "I'll try to keep phone use at a minimum," she promises. 

"Wonderful." With that, Jakob disappears back up the stairs, and Noora is once again left alone with Emilie.

"Well, there are blankets in the cupboard. Otherwise, the living room is all ready for you. I'll be upstairs if you need anything." 

"Er," Noora says, as Emilie turns to walk away. "Could I have something to eat?"

"There might be something in the cabinet," Emilie replies airily, as though Noora is ridiculous to even ask about food.

There's a box of biscuits and some stale bread in the cabinet. Noora takes a couple biscuits for dinner and calls Eskild and Linn from the couch, trying to sound much more upbeat about the whole experience than she's really feeling.

"I still can't believe you chose to spend fall break in _Mjøndalen_ rather than with us," Eskild says. "I miss you so much already. Your absence is draining."

"Yes, well," says Noora, smiling faintly. "I'll be back before the end of the week. And you still have each other for company."

"Sure, but Linn's _boring_ ," says Eskild.

"Eskild!" Noora admonishes him, but Linn shrugs.

"It's true, I am rather boring. The Kollektiv is more fun with you around. It feels unbalanced right now."

It's touching to know that at least Eskild and Linn care to have her around, even if her own parents don't. The whole affair - the train ride, the lack of a welcome home, the missing Oslo - has been rather draining for Noora. Eskild and Linn are her only bright spot right now. "I'll be home in no time," she promises. "I should head to bed, but I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Yes, yes," says Eskild. "You better."

"Sleep well," says Linn.

Then they hang up, and Noora is left with the overwhelming silence of her childhood home.

The rest of the week passes slowly. Generally, Noora wakes up after her parents have left for work and falls asleep before they return. She spends her days finishing up her homework, walking through Mjøndalen, and calling Eskild and Linn. By Friday, she's beginning to feel rather stir-crazy and _so_ goddamn ready to go back to Oslo. She's not sure why her parents invited her back if they're not even going to speak with her, and she's not sure why she came back thinking that this time was going to be any different from the 15 years they spent not-really raising her. At least she's generally independent now, able to stay out her parents way, so they spend less time throwing her nasty looks every time she fumbles up and needs guidance. 

Friday afternoon, Jakob and Emilie come home early with takeout. The three of them eat a silent lunch around the table, filled with the awkwardness of three people who don't know what to say to each other.

"So..." says Emilie, sharing a glance with Jakob. "Have you decided that you're moving back in?"

Noora stops to stare at her mother, her fork halfway to her mouth. "What?"

"Well, it's just, you came here quite suddenly and you haven't left yet, so we assumed that you're out of options and need to move back in," Emilie explains.

Noora's head is spinning. " _You_ asked _me_ to come visit."

Jakob laughs nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Well, we really didn't mean that, did we? It was just a gesture of politeness."

Things are starting to make a lot more sense now. God, Noora can't believe she was so stupid as to think her parents actually wanted to see her. "Oh," she says, a bit dumbfounded.

"But of course, you're welcome back here if you need to move in. Er, we can restore your room-"

But Noora's heard enough. If her parents don't want her around in Mjøndalen, she doesn't want to be around in Mjøndalen. "I'm very happy in Oslo," she says sharply. "I came back because I thought you wanted me to visit. I'm not planning on staying. In fact, I was thinking I would head back after lunch."

To no surprise to Noora, Emilie and Jakob wear twin expressions of relief on their faces. "Yes, I think that would be best," says Jakob. "Do you need a ride to the station?"

"No," says Noora, putting down her fork. "I can get there on my own."

So at 6pm on Friday, Noora finds herself back on the train from Mjøndalen to Oslo, feeling quite a bit hollower than she had on Saturday night. This time, she doesn't even have homework to distract her from her thoughts, having finished it all at her parents' house. Instead, she sits with her head leaning against the window, watching as the grassy darkness of Mjøndalen gives way to the lights of Oslo. This is proof, she supposes, that nobody who really knows Noora wants her around. Her parents, Aksel, even her friends in Madrid were tiring of her by the end of her year there. It might only be a matter of time before Oslo realizes it doesn't want her, either.

It's not until around 8pm that she finally gets back to the Kollektiv, and it's then that she realizes she's left her keys in her room upstairs. She calls Eskild to let her in, and he picks up after the third ring. 

"Noora!" he says, delighted. "How's Mjøndalen tonight?"

"I wouldn't know," she replies. "I'm in Oslo."

" _What?!_ " 

"I'm outside the Kollektiv. I've left my keys in my room. I need you to let me in."

There's some rustling, and Noora thinks she hears Eskild faintly saying something to Linn. When he returns to the phone, he says, "I'm on my way."

After Eskild hangs up, Noora waits outside for about a minute, tapping her fingers on her suitcase handle, until the door opens to reveal both Eskild and Linn. Before Noora can say anything, Eskild reaches forward to wrap her in a hug, squeezing her so tightly that she forgets to breathe for a moment.

"Noora! You have _no_ idea how much we missed you!" He steps back so that Linn can give her a welcome back nod. "Why are you back so early? And why didn't you call us to pick you up from the station?"

"Oh, I got bored of sitting around Mjøndalen," Noora says airily, forcing a smile. "I called an Uber. I wasn't sure if you guys would be home or not."

"I'm always home," says Linn, looking at her a bit suspiciously. 

Before they can ask any other questions, Noora barrels in through the doorway, forcing them to abandon their thoughts to follow her back to the Kollektiv. "I just missed Oslo, is all, and I missed you guys. My parents aren't the best company."

"That's understandable," Eskild says, as they make their way inside. "No one can really compare to me. Oh, but are you hungry? We've got some leftover pizza. It's gone cold, but I can heat it for you."

Noora hasn't eaten since lunch, but there's a giant knot where her stomach used to be, and she's growing tired of her charade. "I'm all right," she replies. "What I really want is a long shower and some sleep. Do you guys mind?"

Neither Eskild or Linn looks completely convinced that Noora's fine, but they don't push it. "Of course not," Eskild says. "We'll talk in the morning, yeah?"

With a noise of reassurance, Noora rolls her suitcase into her room. As she does, her phone starts buzzing in her hand as a week's worth of notifications starts piling up, each one fighting for her attention. As it is, only one really catches her eye, a Facebook notification signified by the little blue icon: _Eva Kviig Mohn wants to be your friend_. 

Smiling, Noora presses accept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two updates in two days?! who am i?? i can assure you this probably won't last for long, but i have so much motivation to write right now!! so u bet ur ass i'll be riding this wave of inspiration as far as it'll take me. anyway i had to come up with a rzn why noora didnt accept evas friend request for a week and also it frustrates me to no end that we basically know nothing about nooras backstory, so here's me combining those two problems into one solution!   
> [tumblr.](http://lizsutton.tumblr.com)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noora gets a new number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know like... noora should probs realize that jonas and eva are dating by now but pls suspend ur disbelief 4 a little & pretend noora doesnt follow eva on insta yet or smthn. im tryna play gymnastics w the timeline and i am doing POORLY. anyway jonas is finally back lmao srry he wasnt in the last chapter but also this is big time noora's story. pls enjoy

Noora's finding herself increasingly charmed by Eva. The weekend before her return to school Noora spent with Eskild and Linn, punctuated with an amusing Facebook message from Eva. The fact that she was reaching out past her friend request was a good sign, so Noora initiated their next conversation during Spanish class. And as much as Noora wants an actual answer, to dig into Eva's history and figure out what makes her tick, Eva's response of "A strong body odor" when Noora asks her why she doesn't seem to have any friends is enough to cement Noora's desire to befriend her.

But here's the thing. Noora has no desire to get involved with russ. She had, in elementary school, when she was desperate to be just like everyone else, the perfect Norwegian girl, but since then, she's educated herself on the frivolity and danger of russ. It's a Norwegian tradition that she has no interest in partaking in. All Noora wanted, when she approached Eva that Thursday afternoon, was to ask Eva to do something with her, finally solidify their growing friendship. Vilde strikes her as nothing more than a stereotypical teenager, obsessed with popularity, if a bit more neurotic than the rest.

But then, of course, the third most interesting person that Noora has met from Nissen shows up. And Vilde, Norwegian as she is, doesn't want to let Sana on the bus. Noora's not going to stand by and let that happen, not when she can use her generic, blonde prettiness to her advantage. So Noora joins a fucking russ bus.

The meeting goes about as well as Noora expected. Eskild's a bit thrilled that she's joining a russ bus, jabbering on about the fucking parties that she'll be able to attend, but Noora privately feels like she'd betrayed her values a bit. She feels it even more when Sana tells them to hook up with '97ers, even going so far as to encourage Eva to break up with her boyfriend. Noora didn't even know that Eva had a boyfriend, but she imagines that, by association with Eva, he must be pretty okay. She feels a bit offended on his behalf.

The problem is, Sana's right. As much as Noora doesn't want to believe it, Sana's right about the transactional nature of Norwegian culture.

Noora goes into the weekend frustrated and wondering if it's much too late to end her participation. Saturday morning, she wakes up with such restlessness that she can't possibly stay sitting around in the Kollektiv anymore, so she decides to do something productive and take the bus downtown to go grocery shopping. She's sitting in an empty row of seats texting Eskild and Linn to get their grocery lists when a shadow appears in front of her.

"Hey, I know you, right?" Someone says.

Noora looks up, and to her surprise, sees Jonas standing in front of her. He looks a little worse for the wear, hair mussed up, clothes disheveled, like he didn't sleep in his own bed last night. A walk of shame. Or, a bus ride of shame. It's a bit amusing, really.

"Yeah," she says, with a smile. "From the skate park. Jonas, right?"

"Right," he replies. "Mind if I sit?"

At Noora's nod, Jonas takes the empty seat across from her and runs a hand through his hair. 

"You look like you had a fun night," Noora comments, raising an eyebrow.

Jonas has the decency to look a bit sheepish, self-consciously straightening his collar. "My girlfriend kicked me out this morning because her mom came home," he explains. "I had to sneak out the window."

"A forbidden relationship? Very clandestine of you."

"Not _forbidden_. She just doesn't want to tell her mom about me," Jonas explains. "What about you? Why are you out and about this fine morning?"

"Grocery shopping," Noora explains. "Nothing as illicit as your secret affair."

"It's not a _secret_ ," Jonas argues, but he's smiling. "Hey, mind if I tag along? I've got to pick some stuff up too."

"Be my guest," says Noora.

They get off the bus downtown.

"I don't know," Jonas is saying. "What do you think of russ?"

Noora wrinkles her nose a bit at his question. "I'm not really a fan."

"See, I'm not either. It's basically everything that's wrong with a capitalist system." Jonas is getting a bit heated now, his hands gesturing wildly in the air. "But my girlfriend joined one last week. I'm glad she's making friends, it's just..."

"I understand," says Noora as they walk into the grocery store. She makes a beeline for the produce aisle and Jonas follows. "I joined one too. But there was a reason for that, I promise." 

"What, trying to dismantle russ from the inside?" 

Noora laughs. "No, but that would be pretty cool."

"It's something to think about, at least," Jonas replies, picking up an apple and tossing it back and forth in his hands. "Man, I wish my girlfriend were on your bus instead of the one she's actually on. Did you know that they want her to break up with me?"

 _Huh_ , Noora thinks for a moment. _Sounds familiar._ "You know, someone during my m-"

Before Noora can finish what she's saying, Jonas snaps his fingers. "Fuck, before I forget, I wanted to get your number. I wanted to get it in August, but our conversation got cut off and I couldn't find you on social media."

"Yes, of course," says Noora, taking Jonas' phone when it's offered to her and plugging in her contact information. "My last name is Sætre, by the way. In case you still wanted to find me." 

Jonas grins, taking his phone back. "Vasquez. Here, I'll text you so that you have my number too."

Noora reaches for her phone when she feels it buzz in her back pocket so that she can save Jonas' number. "Does this mean that we're friends now, Jonas Vasquez?" she asks, tone teasing.

"It means that we're _best_ friends now, Noora Sætre," Jonas replies. "Anyway, sorry I cut you off. What were you saying earlier?"

"Ah, it's not important," Noora replies, reaching for a bundle of carrots. 

They spend the rest of the grocery trip chatting about nothing in particular. Jonas asks her how she likes Oslo so far, so Noora explains how different it is from Madrid, and then how different both of them are from Mjøndalen. Jonas, on the other hand, has never lived anywhere other than Oslo. Noora tells him about the Kollektiv and how Eskild and Linn have been her saving grace during her move, and Jonas kindly doesn't ask her why she doesn't live with her parents, instead telling her about his troublemaker of a sister. It's nice. Noora doesn't find many people that she clicks with as quickly as she and Jonas did.

They say goodbye at the bus station, realizing that they're taking different paths home. It's not until Noora's halfway home that she realizes that Jonas didn't buy anything at all.

_Saturday, October 10, 2015 (21.17pm)_

**noora** (picture: an empty bag of chips) 

**sk8er boy** is that the one you bought today?!

 **noora** Unfortunately

 **sk8er boy** and here i was thinking that my family were barbarians about food

 **noora** What can I say, Eskild and Linn are good for the economy

"... and then she told me that if he messaged me, I should respond flirtatiously. And now I don't know what to do."

Noora and Eva are walking around downtown Oslo as Eva recounts the russ group shitshow that Noora narrowly avoided by staying after class to ask a teacher a question. 

"Damn," says Noora. "Sana is being a bit intense about this." Privately, Noora thinks that Sana's probably right. She disagrees with her methods, not to mention russ culture in general, but if they want to have a successful russ bus, they do need an in with the more populous buses. But this is the kind of thing that made her want to avoid russ in the first place; she can't possibly condone it.

"I can't do this, right? I have a boyfriend. I can't flirt with Christoffer just for a party invitation." Eva sounds unsure, which Noora is pretty sure doesn't bode well for this entire situation.

"No, of course not," Noora replies. "You shouldn't do anything you're uncomfortable with. You don't need to reply to him, you know. I'm sure we can find another way."

"I don't think he's even going to respond," says Eva.

"You're a pretty first year girl," Noora points out. "I think he's going to respond."

Eva bites her lip, glancing down at her phone where it lies in the palm of her hand. "What if I didn't flirt? What if I just talked to him a bit? I just... I don't want to let the others down."

As much as Noora knows that Eva doesn't intend to let things get out of hand with Christoffer, she also knows that guys who proudly wear the title 'Penetrator' probably don't stop until they get what they want. And considering what Eva's told her about Christoffer so far, Noora's pretty sure that what he wants right now is Eva, and not in the friendship way. 

"I don't know," she says finally. "I don't think you should do it. Or, at least, if you do, you should tell your boyfriend about it."

"Maybe," Eva replies, but her tone says that she's not really considering the last option at all.

The next day, Noora catches Sana in the hallway before class and pulls her aside to a quieter corner.

"What are you doing?" Noora asks.

"What do you mean?"

"Eva's made it pretty clear that she doesn't want to break up with her boyfriend. Why do you keep pushing her at Christoffer?"

Sana sighs, but her expression lacks the usual hardness that it holds when they're with the entire group. "You and I both know that Eva's connection to the Penetrators is our best chance at getting invited to a russ party so that we can start networking."

"There are other ways."

"What other ways, Noora? Look, I'm not going to do it again, okay? But we needed the push."

Noora purses her lips, but she relents. "Why do you care so much about this, anyway? Russ isn't that big of a deal."

At Noora's question, Sana's expression hardens again, and she crosses her arms. "Maybe not to you. You could easily get onto any bus if you actually wanted to. But not even everyone wants me on _this_ bus. You're smart, Noora. Why do you _think_ I care?"

Sana leaves then, and Noora's struck with the spinning memory that the world isn't black and white. She knew that - of course she knew that - but sometimes she forgets how different other people's experiences are from her own, and the knowledge that, even in her conquest for progress, she still has the capability for ignorance as great as Vilde's is dizzying, discomforting, a guilt which sinks deep into her stomach.

_Tuesday, October 13, 2015 (17:33pm)_

**sk8er boy** (link: Russ and Relationships: How party culture threatens relationships) what do you think?

 **noora** Tabloid bullshit

 **noora** Relationships are about trust and communication. As long as you're open with each other, russ can't do shit to drive you apart

 **sk8er boy** they make some good points tho abt the pressure for people on buses to be single

 **sk8er boy** especially if one person isn't involved & can't relate to the others' experiences

 **noora** I agree that those aspects of russ suck, but they shouldn't be make or break for a healthy relationship

 **noora** If two people are willing to work at having a relationship, those are minuscule obstacles to overcome. And if you're not willing to work for your relationship, you shouldn't be in it

 **sk8er boy** i hope you're right

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr.](http://lizsutton.tumblr.com)


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